Internal-combustion engine



R. S. DICKINSON.

I INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.30, I9I4. RENEWEDMAR. 2I. 9I9.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEETI R. SQDICKINSON. INTERNAL comsusnom ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-30,1914. RENEWED MAR.27.1919.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919p 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

RAYMOND STARBUCK DICKINSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-I-IALF TO WALTER W'. STRYKER, OF DUNELLEN, NEW JERSEY.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

Application filed September 30, 1914, Serial No. 864,273. Renewed March27, 1919. Serial No. 285,643.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RAYMOND S. DICKIN- SON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines of the four-cycletype, and its object is to provide novel and improved means forsupplying a combustible mlxture to the working cylinder of the engineand for effecting the exhaust of the spent gases, and furthermore toprovide air and fuel controlling valves which operateto maintain aconstant uniform proportion of an and fuel.

These objects are. attained by means of a combination and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section oftheeng ne;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing certaln additional features to behereinafter described in detail.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 1 denotes the engine cylinder inwhich is slidably mounted a sleeve 2 containing a piston 3. The upper orouter end of the cylinder is closed by a head 4 having a portion 4'extending concentrically into the cylinder and spaced from the wallthereof a sufiicient distance to accommodate the corresponding end ofthe sleeve. The extension is hollow and forms a continuation of thecombustion chamber of the cylinder. The head 4 has a threaded opening 4to receive the charge igniting device. A rod 5 connects the piston witha crank 7 on the engine shaft 7 the crank wrist being shown at 8. Awrist pin 14 pivotally connects the rod to the piston. The cylinder 1seats on a crank case 39 having a removable bottom portion 40,

In the crank case 39 is mounted a countershaft 9 having a sprocket wheel11 which is connected by a chain 13 to a smaller sprocket wheel 12 onthe engine crank shaft 7. Any other suitable driving gear between theshafts 7 and 9 may be provided. The sprocket wheel 12 is one half thesize of the sprocket wheel 11, and thus the shaft 9 is given onerevolution to every two revolutions of the shaft 7*.

The countershaft 9 is provided for the purpose of reciprocating thesleeve 2, the latter being the valve which controls the charge inlet andthe exhaust of the spent gases in a manner to be presently described. Acrank 10 on the countershaft is connected by a pitman 6 to a pin 15carried by the lower or inner end of the sleeve, the length of thesleeve being such that its lower end extends into the crank case 39 inorder that the connection withthe pitman 6 may be,

air inlet port 31 which is so located that the back of the piston comesin line therewith at the end of its outward stroke. In the sleeve 2 areports 33, 28 and 30. The port 33 is located to register with the port 34at certain times, the port 28' with the port 29, and the port 30 withthe port 31, The float chamber of the carbureter or charge formingdevice of the engine is shown at 37, the same having a nipple 24 at thebottom for connection to the supply. From the carbureter extends anoutlet pipe 48 having a spray nozzle 25 extending into amixing chamber25* 16 leads to a valve chamber 47 containing a check valve 17.The'outlet of the valve chamber is connected to the fuel inlet portfromwhich a conduit.

the cylinder when the explosion takes place in the latter. The spring 35assures the closing of the valve.

The mixing chamber 25 has an air inlet 25 into which the nozzle 25extends, and the wall of said chambercarries a needle valve 26 whichenters the mouth of the nozzle and controls the area thereof to regulatethe volume of fuel issuing therefrom.

Formed integral with the wall of the mixlng chamber 25, or separatetherefrom, is an air-valve casing 1 having an outlet, 19 whichcommunicates v ith the cylinder port 31. In this casing is nounted ahollow cylindrical valve 18 open at one end, the ends of the casingbeing also open, and in the side of the valve is a port 32- adapted toregister with the outlet 19*. The valve is rotatable to register withthe port 32 the outlet 19*, and also to regulate the area of the outletand thus control the volume of air entering the cylinder 1 through theports 31 and 30. The valve is operated by an arm 22 connected to it inany suitable manner.

Adjacent to the valve casing 19, the same carries a pivot 23 for a leverhaving arms 20 and 20 the latter being located to engage theouter end ofthe stem of the needle valve 26. A spring 27 engaging a shoulder on saidvalve stem serves to move the valve to open position. and to hold thesame against the lever arm 20*, the valve being moved to closed positionby said arm of the lever when the lever is rocked in one direction, andwhen the lever is rocked in the opposite direction, the arm swings in adirection to allow the spring to open the valve. Thus, the extent ofclosing movement of the valve is controlled by the lever arm 20 theurpose of which will be presently made c ear.

The lever arm 20 is curved 011 an arc having for its center the centerofthe valve 18. The concave side of the arm carries a curved spring 21.This spring is forced, by screws 21 carried by the arm 20, to extendeccentrically with respect to said arm. On the arm 22 is a lug orabutment 50 which rides over the. spring. Thus, when the arm is swung torock the valve 18, the lug 50, as it rides over the eccentric surface,swings the lever and rocks the same on its pivot 23. The purpose of thisis to obtain a variable needle valve opening, the discharge of fuel fromthe nozzle 25 being proportionate to the amount of air admitted to thecylinder 1 through the ports 31 and 30 by the valve 18. The parts are soarranged that when the valve 18 is rocked to place its port 32 squarelyover the outlet 19 to admit the maximum volume of air, the needle valve26 is opened to permit the escape of the maximum quantity of fuel fromthe nozzle 25. The arm 22 operates the valve 18 and actuates the leverarm 20 in the manner already described.

As the valve 18 is moved to reduce the air supply. the arm 22 swings ina direction to force the lever arm 2t) down against the needle valvestem, thus moving the needle valve in a direction to reduce the The.spring 21 is adjustable by the screws 21 to vary the throw of the leverarm 20.

The operation of the engine maybe sum 'marized as follows: The drawingshows the piston 23 in firing position. the ports 34 and 29 beingcovered by the sleeve 2. As the piston starts on its working stroke thesleeve also moves downward so that at the end of the working stroke theports 28 and 25) register, allowing the spent gases to exhaust.

These ports continue to register during the return or exhaust stroke ofthe piston. and at the end of this stroke the port 28 has passed theport 25), thus closing the exhaust. Thige completes the working andexhaust strokes. The ports 33 and 31 register during a short interval ofthe working stroke, but the pressure in the cylinder is prevented by thecheck valve 17 from escaping into the intake conduit 16. At the end ofthe exhaust stroke, the ports 33 and 31 register and as the pistonstarts down on the next or the suction stroke, a charge is drawn intothe cylinder through said ports, the check valve 17 opening at this timeunder the partial vacuum produced in the cylinder. A very small airspace is provided around the nozzle 25, resulting in a very high speedair current passing the mouth of the nozzle, which, with the partialvacuum in the cylinder. tends to split up the fuel, making it possibleto start the engine when cold, and on heavy fuels, and tending togreater economy and efficiency. Near the end of the suction stroke the.ports 30 and 31 register, and the back of the piston uncovers the port30. Air now enters the cylinder through the ports 30 and 31, the valve18 having previously been placed to register its port 32 with the outlet19*. The air entering the cylinder relieves the partial vacuum thereinand mixes with the fresh charge admitted during the suction stroke. hemixture of air and fuel in the cylinder is compressed when the pistonmakes the next. return or compression stroke, and the mixture is thenfired, which completes the cycle. At the end of the suction stroke thesleeve has moved to cover the poit 84:. The sleeve also covers theexhaust port 29 during the suction and the compression strokes. Theamount of fuel passing from the nozzle 25 is governed by the position ofthe valve 18, and the greater the volume of air admitted to thecylinder, the greater will be the volume of fuel discharged from thenozzle. the proportion of air and fuel being therefore constant, and anengine is produced which will in itself vaporize its fuel to the highestdegree possible without the necessity of heating the same. The singlercciprocatory sleeve also reduces the noise to a minimum.

The fuel admitted to the cylinder with a small quantity of air, orwithout air, will be expanded or torn asunder by the partial vacuumwhich will always exist in the cylinder on the intake stroke for aperiod of time covering over one half the length of the piston travel.the time aud'distance being controlled by the height at which the airintake port is positioned in the cylinder. This partial vacuum, uptothis point, must always occurregardless of the throttle opening or speedof the engine, hence there is practically a constant efficiency inmolecular disintegration, and the air is admitted to the fuel after thelatter is vaporized in the cylinder by the partial vacuum. Of course,more fuel must be admitted as more air is admitted, but the additionalvolume of fuel practically does not affect the partial vacuum existingin the cylinder.

Fig. 2 shows a modification, the cylinder 1 having a main exhaust port41 near its outer end, opposite which port the back of the piston 3comes at the end of its working stroke. The sleeve 2 has a port 42 whichregisters with the port 41 at this time, allowing the spent gases toescape. Shortly after the back of the piston has come in line with theport 41, a port 44 in the sleeve registers with a cylinder port 43 atthe combustion chamber end of the cylinder, allowing the atmosphere torelieve the partial vacuum in the cylinder caused by the outrush of thespent gases through the main exhaust port. The port 44 continues toregister with the cylinder port 43 until the end of the exhaust strokeof the piston.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having a fuel inlet portat one end, an air inlet port at its other end opening to theatmosphere, and an exhaust port, a reciprocatory sleeve working in thecylinder and having ports corresponding to and adapted to register withthe aforesaid cylinder ports, a piston working in the sleeve, means foroperating the sleeve, and a valve for varying the area of the inlet portopening to the atmosphere.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having a fuel inlet portat one end, an air inlet port at its other end, and an exhaust port, areciprocatory sleeye working in the cylinder and having ports corresponding to and adapted to register with the aforesaid cylinder ports, apiston working in the sleeve, means for operating the sleeve, a valvefor the air inlet port of the cylinder, a controlling arm connected tosaid valve, and a fuel-controlling valve, said air and fuel valves beingoperatively connected to work in unison.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having fuel inlet andexhaust ports, and an air inlet port, a reciprocatory sleeve working inthe cylinder and having ports corresponding to and adapted .to registerwith the aforesaid cylinder ports, a piston working in the sleeve, meansfor operating the sleeve, a valve for the air inlet port of thecylinder, an arm connected to said valve for controlling the same. saidarm having an abutment, a fuel-controlling valve, and a the cylinder,

4. In an internal combustion engine, a

cylinder having fuel inlet and exhaust ports,

and an air inlet .port, a reoiprocatory sleeve working inthe cylinderand having ports corresponding to and adapted to register with theaforesaid cylinder ports, a piston working in the sleeve, means foroperating the sleeve, a valve for the air inlet port of an armconnect-ed to said valve for controlling the same, said arm having anabutment, a fuel-controlling valve, a

lever having an arm engageable with the fuel-controlling valve, and acurved member carried by the other lever arm and engageable by theabutment of the aforesaid arm for swinging the lever.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having fuel inlet andexhaust ports, and an air inlet port, a reoiprocatory sleeve working inthe cylinder and having ports corresponding to and adapted to registerwith the aforesaid cylinder ports, a piston working in the sleeve, meansfor operating the sleeve, a valve for the air inlet port of thecylinder, an armconnected to said valve for controlling the same, saidarm having an abutment, a fuel-controlling valve, a lever having an armengageable with the fuel-controlling valve, and a curved member valve,and a lever having an arm engagee able with the fuel-contolling valve,the other arm of the lever having an eccentric surface engageable by theabutment of the aforesaid arm for swinging the lever.

7. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having fuelinlet andexhaust ports, and an air inlet, a valve for the air inlet port of thecylinder, an arm connected to saidvalve for controlling the same, saidarm having an abutn'ient, a fuel-controlling valve, a lever having anarm .engageable with the fuel-controlling valve. and a curved membercarried by the other lever arm and engageable by the abutment of theaforesaid arm for swinging the lever.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having fuel inlet andexhaust ports, and an air inlet port, a valve for the air inlet port ofthe cylinder. an arm connected to said valve for controlling the same,said arm I having an abutment, a fuel-controlling member carried by theother lever arm and engageable by the abutment of the aforesaid arm forswinging the lever, said member being adjustable to change itscurvature.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a working cylinder having fuelinlet and scavenging ports at one end, and air inlet and exhaust portsat its other end, a reciprocatory sleeve working in the cylinder, saidsleeve having ports corresponding to and adapted to register with theaforesaid cylinder ports, means foroperating the sleeve, a pistonworking in the aforesaid sleeve, a check valve chamber having a portcommunicating with the fuel inlet port of the working cylinder, a checkvalve seated in the check valve chamber, said checkvalve being opened bythe partial vacuum in the working cylinder allowing an open passagethereto, a fuel spraying nozzle, a port or pipe communicating said checkvalve chamber with the fuel spraying nozzle, said nozzle having a needlevalve seated therein, whereby the quantity of fuel released may becontrolled, the aforesaid communicating port or pipe being restrictedaround the nozzle whereby a small'portion of the air necessary to form acylinder volume is allowed to pass, whereby a molecular disintegrationof fuel is had in the said working cylinder, due to the high partialvacuum formed in the cylinder by the intake stroke of the piston, an airvalve housing having a port communicating with the air inlet port of theaforesaid working cylinder, an air valve contained in the air valvehousing, an arm connectedto the valve for controlling the same, said armhaving an abutment, and a lever having, an arm engageable with theaforesaid needle valve, the other arm of the lever having an eccentricsurface engageable by the abutment of the aforesaid air valve armwhereby a proportionate quantity of fuel and air'may be had to form afiring mixture at all speeds.

10. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having fuel inlet andscavenging ports at on end, and air inlet and exhaust ports at its otherend, a reciprocatory sleeve working in the cylinder, said sleeve havingports corresponding to and adapted to register with the aforesaidcylinder ports, means for operating the sleeve, a piston working in theaforesaid sleeve, a check valve chamber having a port communicating withthe said fuel intake port of the cylinder, a check valve in the checkvalve chamber, a fuel spraying nozzle, a port or pipe communicating saidcheck valve chamber with the fuel spraying nozzle, said nozzle having aneedle valve seated therein whereby the amount of fuel released may becontrolled, the connnunicating port or pipe being restricted around thesaid spraying nozzle whereby a very small portion of the air forming thecylinder volume is allowed to pass, whereby the molecules of the liquidfuel are parted by the high partial vacuum existing in said workingcylinder created by the intake stroke of the said piston, a cylindricalvalve housing a port communicating with the air inlet port of theaforesaid working cylinder, the said valve housing having a cylindricalrotatable valve therein, an arm connected to said valve for controllingthe same, and a lever connection between the air valve lever and theaforesaid needle valve, whereby a proportional volume of air and fuelmay be had to form a firing mixture.

11. In an internal combustion engine, a working cylinder having fuelinlet and exhaust ports, and an air inlet port, a reciprocatory sleeveworking in the cylinder, said sleeve having ports corresponding to andadapted to register with the aforesaid cylinder ports, means foroperating the sleeve, :1 piston working in the aforesaid sleeve, :1check valve chamber having a port communicating with said fuel inletport of the aforesaid working cylinder, a check valve seated in thecheck valve chamber, said check valve being opened by the partial vacuumin the working cylinder allowing an open passage thereto, a fuelspraying nozzle, a port or pipe communicating said check valve chamberwith the fuel spray nozzle, said nozzle having a needle valve seatedtherein, whereby the quantity of fuel release may be controlled, theaforesaid communicating port or pipe being restricted around thespraying nozzle whereby a small portion of the air necessary to form acylinder volume is allowed to pass, whereby a molecular disintegrationof fuel is had in the said working cylinder, due to the high partialvacuum formed in the cylinder by the intake stroke of the pistons, anair valve housing having a port communicating with the air inlet port ofthe aforesaid working cylinder, an air valve contained in the air valvehousing, an arm connected to the valve for controlling the same, saidarm having an abutment, and a lever having an arm engageable with theaforesaid needle valve, the other arm of the lever having an eccentricsurface engageable by the abutment of the aforesaid air valve armwhereby a proportionate quantity of fuel and air may be had to form afiring mixture at all speeds.

12. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having fuel inlet andexhaust ports, and an air inlet port, a reciprocatory sleeve working inthe cylinder, said sleeve having ports corresponding to and adapted toregister with the aforesaid cylinder ports, means for operating thesleeve, a piston emma working in the aforesaid sleeve, a check valvechamber having a port communicating with the said fuel inlet port of thecylinder, a check valve in the check vali'e of amber, a

fuel spraying nozzle, a port or pipe commu- 1 nicating said check valvechamber with the fuel spraying nozzle, said nozzle having a needle valveseated therein whereby the amount of fuel released may be controlled,the communicating port or pipe being restricted around the said sprayingnozzle whereby a very small portion of the air forming the cylindervolume is allowed to pass, whereby the molecules ofvthe fuel are partedby-the high partial vacuum existing 3 in said working cylindencreated bythe intake stroke of the said piston, a cylindrical valve housing, aport communicating With the air inlet port of the aforesaid Workingcylinder,said valve housing having a cylindrical rotatable valvetherein, an arm connected to said valve. for controlling the same, and alever connection between the air valve lever and the aforesaid needlevalve whereby a proportional volume of air and fuel may behad to formfiring mixtures.

13. In an internal combustlon engine, a

cylinder having fuel inlet, air inlet, and

exhaust ports, a reciprocating sleeve working in the cylinder, saidsleeve having ports corresponding to and adapted to register with theaforesaid cylind r ports, means for operating the sleeve, a pistonorking in the sleeve, a check valve communicating with the intake portof the aforesaid cylinder, a fuel spraying nozzle communicating With thecheck valve chamber, said communication being restricted around theaforesaid spraying nozzle whereby a mixture very rich in fuel propertiesis had, said mixture being admitted to the said cylinder under com-RAYMOND STARBUGK DICKINSON.

Witnesses:

CHAS. W. SNYDER, Moses H. Drum.

